Christmas - Ready or Not

It’s time to get into the holiday spirit or so they say. Well, it’s not easy for me. I love the main reason of celebrating Jesus’ birth that allowed Him to fully understand humans in order to pay the price for our sins. But do I not enjoy most of the media frenzy, hype, commercialism and faux joy of the season. While Christmas should be a time of celebrating togetherness and sacrificial giving, it has been largely replaced with greed and selfishness. When they should have been relaxing and enjoying the benefits of an extended weekend, many people fought over merchandise at wee hours of the morning the day after Thanksgiving. I think this is about as ridiculous as standing in line for a day or more awaiting the release of the latest Star Wars movie. (I say this even though I am a huge Star Wars fan.) It makes me think about what’s most important to me. Do you I really value true joy comes from my faith and family or do I give that up for the temporary joy of a great bargain, the latest video game system or the best Christmas light display in my neighborhood?

While I say all this, I do enjoy some things about Christmas. There’s always some good family time and opportunities to sing Christmas carols. The kids do Christmas programs and my dad receive the story of Jesus’ birth. It’s even fun to give and receive a few gifts. Despite that, at times I wish that I lived in a country that didn’t make such a big deal about Christmas. While each can have its place in moderation, all toys, power tools and movies lose their appeal over time. What shouldn’t lose its appeal, though, is the magic of the miracle of Jesus. Although he was God and enjoying the lap of luxury, He longed for relationship with humans so much that He placed Himself in a human body and hung out with selfish people like me. He died for me to invite me to be a part of His family and experience the true meaning of Christmas.

Yes, I may react too strongly about an American Christmas but I do believe we all need to think about our motives in what has become a highly secularized holiday. I thank God for the many Americans who grapple with the meaning of Christmas in the midst of all the confusion. What do you have to say about Christmas? Please feel free to comment.